Sri Lanka's ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva repeated the state's “categorical rejection" of the resolution passed last session mandating an international inquiry into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka.
“Sri Lanka will not cooperate with the OHCHR-driven so called “comprehensive investigation” emanating from it,” Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, was quoted by the Island as saying during the Council’s 26th session.
He went on to say:
“[The March 2014 resolution] adopted with the support of less than half the Council’s membership which mandated this action, challenges the sovereignty and independence of a member state of the UN, violates principles of international law, is inherently contradictory, and is based on profoundly flawed premises inimical to the interests of the Sri Lankan people. The resolution’s lack of clarity sets a dangerous precedent and will destabilize the intricate balance in the homegrown process of national reconciliation. The prejudice and bias concerning Sri Lanka repeatedly displayed by the High Commissioner and the OHCHR remain of deep concern, while reports which question the credibility of the coordinator appointed for the investigation have already emerged ".
"It is ironic that the Resolution calls on the Government of Sri Lanka and the OHCHR to conduct parallel investigations. Its OP 2 and 10, are contradictory, with the latter violating a basic principle of international law, that national remedies need to be exhausted before resorting to international mechanisms. The Government of Sri Lanka upholds that the processes of national reconciliation already instituted amply satisfies the elements contained in OP 2, and therefore the implementation of OP 10 becomes unnecessary".
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka's main constituent party, SLFP, announced that Parliament is to decide on whether to allow access to the investigative team of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stating it was a matter of “national importance”, reports the Island.
The decision by the SLFP Central Committee on Monday, follows a letter sent by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navy Pillay, to Sri Lanka's Minister of External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, requesting a visit to Sri Lanka by the investigative team, headed by Sandra Beidas.
Government coalition partners are to be consulted, whilst Nimal Siripala De Silva is to request Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to arrange a debate on the matter.
Parliament will next meet on June 17.
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